Next to you, Next to me
by Small J
Summary: Roy has some down time. Has it really been that long since he chilled with Wally? For the Appreciation Challenge. Can be read as pre-slash. Mostly a friendship story. Fluff warning. So sweet you may get a cavity.


**Title**: Next to You, Next to me

**Series**: Music Appreciation Challenge

**The song**: Next to you, Next to me

**What I used**: I used the story the song was telling. I started out with what I hoped was the same tone but it was too hard to stick with that lighthearted humor and I just dropped the humor altogether.

**Rating**: K for friendships and pre-slash possibilities.

**Summary**: Roy has some cash and some down time. Has it really been that long since he chilled with Wally?

**Notes 1**: I don't know how Roy gets money but considering he rented a boat in the Young Justice series I can assume he has a cash flow somewhere. This started out as a friendship story and then, well, It turned into fluff. You can read it as really good friends, I'm sure, but just know, has other meanings. I think I can classify this as pre-slash. Wally is 16 and Roy is…what is he 18 in the series? I think that was right. So Wally had a birthday and Roy hasn't had his yet, or something. Yes, I will go with that.

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><p>Wally tapped his foot against the sidewalk in front of his uncle's home as he folded his arms across his chest. The pat-pat-pat of his sneakers kept rhythm with his bursting irritation. It was typical, when he was in a rush—not that he wasn't always—everyone else was late. The moon had already started to rise above the trees and he was still waiting, traveling bag at his feet. The night wasn't overly cold but it wasn't remarkably warm, either. He felt himself begin to shift and vibrate and had to force him self to hold still. It was a comfortable night and he wanted to enjoy the light nip on his arms and neck.<p>

Wally was always a bit impatient, even before the accident that gave him super speed. Even as his body stood at rest, his eyes darted at super speed to glance around him. His bright red hair stood slightly spiked where his goggles pushed the unruly locks from his forehead. He scratched at the short sleeve of his shirt. A plain white t-shirt draped with his uncle's plaid button down. The button down had a few holes here and there but Wally had insisted his guardian not throw it out. A few holes meant little to the teen and he was happy to give the ratty thing a good home in his laundry hamper. Glancing down the road again, he shifted from foot to foot, jeans just scraping the cement at his heels.

He began to wonder if Roy would ever show up when he saw it. There, turning the corner onto his road was a beat up pick-up truck. It had obviously been blue in a former life judging from the peeling white paint that lifted up to show the hidden depth. The overly large side-view mirrors looked like they were made of more rust then chrome. When at last it pulled in front of him he was relieved to hear a healthy, purring engine under the large hood.

Roy lowered his head to peak out of the passenger window from his seat.

"Hey." Was the only response Wally got.

Grabbing his bag, Wally angrily threw it into the bed of the truck before climbing into the cab with a huff.

"That it? You show up four hours late and all I get is 'hey'?"

Roy smiled as he shifted into drive and sped off.

"Alright then," he said, "would you forgive me if I said I had a chocolate bar in the glovebox?"

Almost as fast as he could finish his sentence, the red head had finished the candy bar and mumbled his thanks.

Roy laughed. That was what he loved about his friend. He rarely stayed mad at you and you were swiftly forgiven if there was good food involved.

(.)(.)(.)(.)-(.)(.)(.)(.)-(.)(.)(.)(.)-(.)(.)(.)(.)

The trip itself was uneventful. They had chatted amiably about everything and nothing—just like old times. Roy had to admit, he had missed that. The speedster had a knack for remembering the strangest things.

"For example" he had said, "All the genetic material in the sperm and egg cells that produced the Earth's present population could fit into the space the size of an aspirin."

Roy's lip twitched. He really should find that funny, he was sure, but how could he not.

"Oh!" cried the freckled boy, "Did you know that mageirocophobia is the intense fear of having to cook? Man, I wonder what the fear of eating Megan's cooking would be called."

Roy shrugged, pulling onto an old dirt road, truck rumbling in disapproval.

"Don't know, Wally. Sitiophobia is the fear of eating."

Wally laughed as the truck bumped and banged along the old road.

"Hey," he asked, flicking the plush dice hanging from the mirror, "if hippopoto-monstroses-quipe-dalio-phobia* is the fear of long words, are people who suffer from it afraid to say it?"

Easy. "Terrified."

The rest of the trip ran along the same lines. Wally would toss out random facts and Roy, like the good boy he was, would laugh and toss one right back. Just like that, they were back to before the Justice League. Roy loved it.

He loved, more, the look on his friends face when he pulled the beat-up truck to a stop in front of a weathered farm house. It had been blue at one point, like the truck, but had an overlay of cracking white. Three steps led up to the porch and front door. Chains hung from the wooden beams but no swing could be found. Instead, two perfectly pristine white rocking chairs sat angled towards the front yard. Trees edged the homestead but did nothing to block the endlessly open sky.

"Well?" the archer asked as he stepped out.

Wally grinned and zipped to the porch. He had all night to see the rest of the place. For now, sitting on the old chair and rocking slightly on the creaking floor boards sounded better. Roy trudged up at a more sedate pace, lugging their bags and a blue cooler. Flopping himself into the second rocker, he sighed. It was good to get off his feet. Reaching out, he opened the cooler before passing a ball of foil to his companion.

Wally started to unfold the thin layers when Roy sat a can of soda onto his arm rest.

"Is this…oh man! Barbeque chicken and a soda? Dude!"

Roy chuckled low in his throat. He didn't have a lot of cash. He had enough on hand for the gas in the car so it didn't leave a lot for food. He could deal with that and he knew Wally. He could smell the sugary sweet snacks in the speedsters bag.

He smiled around a bite of sticky chicken. "You gonna share?" he asked, finishing his bite.

"Wha?" Wally gave him a confused stare, eyebrows knotting briefly before rushing to meet his hairline. "oh! Sure, feel free."

Licking his fingers, Roy reached over to Wally's bag, and, unzipping it, grabbed a plastic container.

"What are these?" he asked, popping the top. They smelled sweet and looked even better.

Wally blushed, his freckles almost vanishing in the bright shade. "Oh, herm, well…Aunt Iris made those. It was a new recipe that a coworker gave her."

Roy said nothing, but picked up one of the baked treats and bit into it. He moaned, his eyes closing in delight. Where had these little snacks been his whole life?

"Walls, what ARE these? Marshmallow and peanut butter?"

Wally clasped his hands together, blush reaching his ears.

"Devil's food cake, too. It…they're called…um…Speedy Little Devil Bars."

Roy nearly choked on his next bite. Wally jumped up, gently patting his friends back. "I knew that would happen."

After a few moments Roy was able to compose himself, though he sat forward, back hunched as he took a few more calming breaths. Wally's gentle pats shifted and he rubbed small circles on his friends back and shoulders.

"You okay?" he asked when he no longer heard a shake in the archers breathing.

"I had to ask," came the reply. Roy shook his head lightly, glancing up to the other boy's smile.

It was nice having those warm hands rubbing his back. Even after choking on a snack, which was still very tasty, he could feel himself relaxing. Wally was like that. He was intense and excitable. You could never predict what he would do—okay, so may be Boy Wonder could if he tried—and he kept you on the edge of your sanity. Then, you slowed him down. If you could get him to focus on something, really get him to stop moving, you would get the greatest treat of all: his full, unwavering, beautiful attention. With that, you got the full brunt of his humor, affection, and, dare he say it, his love.

Roy knew it was a bit of a weakness in the boy. He trusted so easily and, really, he shouldn't. The archer felt him self frown a bit as he looked deep into those emerald eyes. His friend gave everything he was into everything he did, including trust. If he was going to trust you it was going to be one hundred percent and nothing less. He had not been betrayed before. When it happened, it was going to crush his heart, one hundred percent, and it pained Roy.

"Dude" came a soft voice, "You seriously okay?"

Great, now he had a concerned Wally to deal with. Not good.

"I'm fine, really. Just thinking."

Wally smiled softly, his eyes crinkling around the edges. Roy thought it was a good start.

"Here," he said, shuffling over in the oversized rocker before patting the narrow space with his hand. Wally wasted no time in sliding into the confined space. He twisted slightly in the seat, throwing his legs across Roy's before he tucked his shoulder under his friends arm and rested his head. Roy rested one arm on the back of the chair while he let the other rest along Wally's legs, palm shifting on a knee.

Roy snorted softly, tucking his nose to Wally's wild locks. "We were supposed to be stargazing. Something about a meteorite shower?"

Wally laughed again, nuzzling his friend a bit. "Whatever. I'm comfy right here. Hey, remember when we used to watch T.V. like this? When we were little."

"Only if it was a scary movie."

Neither moved as the moon rose steadily. Roy knew they would eventually have to admit defeat and crawl into bed. They couldn't sleep out side.

"Wanna go in, before we get eaten by bugs?" He asked softly, squeezing the other red head's knee.

Wally seemed to slump a little, more of his weight pushing onto to Roy. "Nah. In a bit. No place I'd rather be then sittin' next to you."

"Next to me?"

"Yep."

And, if Roy was truly honest with himself, he thought the same thing, too.

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><p><strong>Notes 2:<strong> There is such a thing as Speedy Little Devil Bars. Why was it so funny? Two things: his name was Speedy and the last time I made them my friend came over to watch Young Justice. I choked on a bite and when she asked what I was choking on I said, "I'm choking on Speedy" to which I made soda spout from her nose. I just had to use that somewhere.

The genetic material thing: REAL. I found it in "The World's Greatest Book of Useless Information".

The fears: Also real. Those can be found on the internet.

*The fear of long words: I typed it in seven times and every time I hit save, FanFiction deleted the word. I don't know why. I added the dashes so the word wouldn't disappear. Sorry about that.

Want to take the writers challenge? You can go to my community. It will link you to LiveJournal where you can get all the information on the challenge since they don't give you ANY room in the community section. Remember to take out the spaces and the () marks.

http:/www(.)fanfiction(.)net/ community/ The_Appreciation_Challenge/91164/


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